Environmental health officers issued a legal order calling for the owner of the long-unoccupied 73 Braunstone Gate, in the West End, to take steps to tackle the issue.

However, as the owner took no measures, the council entered the property, did the necessary work itself and then billed the owner. Council workers cleared the back yard of the property and sealed unused drains from which rats had burrowed up to ground level.

A spokeswoman for the authority said: “This seems to have reduced rat activity generally in the block."

A pest control order was served on 73 Braunstone Gate (Image: Will Johnston Photography)

There was evidence of rats digging under the fence separating the car park from the alley behind number 73.

One business owner said at the time that the rats were breeding in the alleyway. He said he had been forced to lay cement and place steel sheeting against the fences at the rear of his premises to keep the creatures out.

He said: “I’ve had to do it. So far it has worked, but it has cost me a lot of money.

The order (Image: Will Johnston Photography)

“You can see rat holes everywhere.

“The bushes round the car park are full of litter all the time so there is lots of food for the rats.

“You see them scurrying in and out all the time.

“It’s like an open-air bin.

“They also need to fix the holes in their fence where the rats are getting in and out.